Entertainment News

Paula Deen reschedules chat with Matt Lauer

Before being dropped like a bad biscuit by the Food Network, the celebrity chef issued an apology, scheduled an appearance on the "Today" show, bailed on that appearance (seriously irking Matt Lauer) and issued a follow-up video apology, begging for forgiveness. In other words, her recovery efforts got off to a rocky start.

That's why it's no surprise that several other behemoth brands associated with Deen are threatening to pull the plug on their partnerships. At least she's managed to reschedule that date with Lauer.

On Sunday, a representative for the shopping network QVC, which hawks Deen's cookware, issued a statement to People expressing "concerns [over] the unfortunate ... situation," and adding, "QVC does not tolerate discriminatory behavior."

But the airwaves aren't the only place Deen's empire is faltering. Sears Holdings also confirmed that "the company is currently exploring next steps as they pertain to Ms. Deen's products." We're not sure how much of her cash flow comes from big box retailers like Sears, but we're betting it's a lot.

In addition, Deen's next book, (now unfortunately) titled, "Paula Deen's New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up," may be in jeopardy. The book is due to hit shelves in October, but a spokesman for her publisher, Random House, Inc. cautioned, "We are monitoring the situation closely."

Even Novo Nordisk, which joined forces with Deen after she revealed she had diabetes, is considering abandoning ship, as is Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment, which has several of Deen's restaurants in its casinos. A rep for Caesars stated Friday that it also "will continue to monitor the situation."